Wednesday, September 9, 2009

The (new)liberal kind of campaign finance reform

As a party, we Democrats should support free speech as much as possible as long as it has a reasonable purpose. All rights have limits, but in terms of campaign funding and spending there really shouldn't be any except disclosure.

There are too many hybrids in our media to try to right laws to block one type of speech while alllowing another. It wouldn't and isn't fair. Popular culture affects politics but they aren't regulated? The news media affects elections but they are exempted? A rich person can spend whatever they want to get themselves elected, but their opponent has to follow strict rules in trying to raise funds to compete?

Full disclosure. Immediate. There are rich liberals, conservatives, blacks, whites, latinos. There are ways for poorer people to band together. There are ways for every person to be heard and to win every possible argument that should be won.

This wasn't necessarily true ten years ago, certainly not fifty years ago.
But if you look at all the political movements in our country today whether from the right, the left, the internet, etc. it's hard to argue that anyone is being thrawted because of money.

So the answer is more speech, more money, and more organizing.

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